Thetis (1793 ship)

History
Great Britain
Builder	John & William Wells, Rotherhithe
Launched	8 August 1793
Fate	Last listed 1842
General characteristics
Tons burthen	306, or 323, or 334 (bm)
Armament	1807: 6 × 6-pounder guns; 1815: 6 × 4-pounder guns;

Thetis was launched in 1793 in Rotherhithe. She spent most of her career as a West Indiaman. She spent several years as a government transport, and then between 1830 and 1836 she made two voyages as a whaler in the Britishsouthern whale fisheryy. She returned to trading to the western hemisphere, and was last listed in 1842.

Career edit

Thetis first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1793.^[1]

Year	Master	Owner	Trade	Source & notes
1793	Sparks	Long & Co.	London–Jamaica	LR
1797	Sparks Lowry	Long & Co.	London–Jamaica	LR
1804	R.Lowry Siver (or Sever, or Sever)	Long & Co.	London–Jamaica	LR
1816	W.C.Silver	Long & Co.	London–Jamaica	LR; thorough repair 1805
1819	Denham Boyes	Joad & Co.	London–Jamaica	LR; thorough repair 1805 & small repairs 1815
1821	Boyes Middleton	Joad & Co.	London–Jamaica	LR; small repairs 1815
1822	Middleton Williams	Joad & Co.	London–Jamaica	LR; small repairs 1815
1825	J.Williams	Joad & Co.	London–CGH	LR; small repairs 1815
1826	Rainbett G.Clayton	J.Somes & Co.	Hull–Petersburg	LR; small repairs 1815 & 1825
1829	G.Clayton Gray	Somes & Co.	Cork–Barbados	LR; large repair 1827 & small repair 1829
1830	Gray	Somes & Co.	London–South Seas	LR; large repair 1827 & small repair 1829

1st whaling voyage (1830–1832): Captain A.Gray (or Grey), sailed from England on 29 June 1830. Thetis was reported to have been on the Japan Grounds, and at Honolulu. She arrived back at England on 26 May 1832.^[3]

Year	Master	Owner	Trade	Source & notes
1832	Gray Apsey	Somes & Co.	London–South Seas	Register of Shipping; large repair 1827 & small repair 1829

2nd whaling voyage (1832–1836): Captain Apsey sailed from London on 16 October 1832. Thetis was reported at Bay of Islands (1833 and 1834), Honolulu (1834), Sunda Strait (1835), and Bay of Islands again (1835). She arrived back in London on 20 May 1836.^[3]

On or prior to her return, Somes sold Thetis. Aspey, after his return, went on to captain Harriet, another vessel that Somes owned, sailing her on a whaling voyage to New Zealand.

Year	Master	Owner	Trade	Source & notes
1836	J.Apsey Heweth	Mitcheson	London–Quebec London–Barbados	LR
1839	Baker	Mitcheson	London–North America	LR

Fate edit

Last listed in 1842 with data unchanged since 1839.

Citations edit

^ ^a ^b LR(1793), Seq.No.T355.
^ Hackman (2001), p. 316.
^ ^a ^b ^c British southern Whale Fishery Database – Voyages: Thetis.

References edit

Hackman, Rowan (2001). Ships of the East India Company. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-96-7.

[LR1793-1] LR(1793), Seq.No.T355.

[FOOTNOTEHackman2001316-2] Hackman (2001), p. 316.

[bswf-3] British southern Whale Fishery Database – Voyages: Thetis.

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